Nail clipper with protective guard



June 1965 w. D. CASEY, JR 3,189,996

NAIL CLIPPER WITH PROTECTIVE GUARD Filed Nov. 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1William 0. Casey, Jr.

1 N VEN TOR.

Y Wyn gym J1me 1965 w. D. CASEY, JR 3,189,996

NAIL CLIPPER WITH PROTECTIVE GUARD Filed Nov. 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IFig.6 4e

William 0. Casey, Jr.

IN VEN T 0R.

Mad-2 By United States Patent 3,189,996 NAIL CLIPPER WITH PROTECTIVEGUARD William D. Casey, Jr., 3570 Autumn Ave., Memphis, Tenn. Filed Nov.6, 1963, Ser. No. 321,818 3 Claims. (Cl. 30-28) This invention relatesto improvements in nail clippers, particularly clippers designed for thecutting of fingernails.

Nail clippers of the type with which the present in vention isconcerned, while being portable because of size and compactness, arenevertheless often dangerous because of the exposed cutting edgesthereon which are also liable to cause damage to material and fabricadjacent thereto which may be caught on the sharp cutting edges. It istherefore a primary object of the present invention to provide animproved nail clipper of the aforementioned type which is safer to carryand less likely to damage material in contact therewith.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improvednail clipper of the aforementioned type incorporating a protectivesafety feature which is relatively inexpensive.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a nailclipper embodying a protective safety feature that is reliable and whichdoes not disturb the compact nature of the type of nail clipperinvolved.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the improved nail clipper of thepresent invention in use.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the nail clipper in a closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a forward end View of the nail clipper.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through aplane indicated by section line 44 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through aplane indicated by section line 5-5 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially through aplane indicated by section line 6-6 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the disassembled parts of the nailclipper.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed from FIGURE1 that the nail clipper generally referred to by reference numeral 10 isin an active or actuating position, held in one hand of the user forcutting the fingernails of the other hand. The nail clipper is of thetype which involves a pair of elongated spring leaves 12 and 14 securedtogether at one end 16 by any suitable means such as by brazing. Theopposite unsecured ends 18 and 20 of the spring leaves are resilientlyheld spread apart by a stud 22. Pivotally mounted on the stud 22 is apressure bar 24 adapted to be rotationally displaced between anactuating position illustrated in FIG- URE 1 and shown by dotted line inFIGURE 6 and a closed position shown in FIGURE 2 and by solid line inFIGURE 6.

Nail clippers of the aforementioned type are well known in that theupper spring leaf 12 is provided with an end portion 26 adapted to besecured to the end portion 28 of the lower spring leaf 14 as moreclearly seen in FIGURE 7, the opposite operative ends 18 and 20 of thespring leaves being separated by the stud 22 "ice firmly secured to theleaf 14 within the aperture 30 thereof, the stud having its head portion32 engaging the underside of the leaf 14 adjacent to the end 20. Theshank of the stud 22 therefore slidably extends through the aperture 34formed adjacent the end 18 of the leaf 12 so that the notch 36 formed inthe shank of the stud may pivotally receive the pivot projections 38which extend from the bifurcated end portion 40 of the pressure bar 24.The pressure bar is therefore provided with an elongated actuatingportion 42 one side of which includes a filing surface 44 exposedupwardly when the pressure bar is in the actuating position shown inFIGURE 1. An actuating pressure projection 46 is formed on the surfaceof the pressure bar opposite the filing surface 44 adjacent to the endportion 40, so that when the pressure bar is in the actuating position,the projection 46 will bear against the upper surface of the leaf 12adjacent the op-' erative end 18 in order to permit the user to slidablydisplace the upper leaf 12 towards the lower leaf 14 in order to effectthe cutting action. The pressure bar when rotationally displaced fromthe actuating position by degrees, in a plane perpendicular to the axisthrough the stud 22, may then be angularly displaced toward the closedor inactive position illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 6 with projection46 extending upwardly and the elongated actuating portion 42 engagingthe top surface of the upper leaf 12 at its end. p

The upper and lower leaves are respectively provided with cuttingelements 48 and 50 which are arcuate in shape for shaped cutting of thefingernails. The cutting elements are therefore provided with arcuateknife cutting edges 52 and 54 which confront each other. The cuttingelement 48 therefore extends downwardly from the upper leaf 12 and islocated within a lateral recess 56 formed on one longitudinal side 58 ofthe leaf 12 adjacent to the operative end 18. It will therefore beobserved, that the pressure bar will have its pressure projection 46aligned with the cutting element 48 so that upon slidable displacement,maximum pressure will be applied to the cutting element 48 bringing ittoward the cutting element 50 projecting upwardly from the lower leaf14. The lower leaf is therefore also provided with a recess 60 on thelongitudinal side 62 thereof aligned with the recess 56 in the upperleaf 12. It will therefore be apparent, that the disposition of thecutting ele' ments 48 and 50 recessed inwardly from the longitudinalsides 58 and 62, will not only bring them closer to the point of maximumpressure applied by the pressure projection 46, but will also render theknife edges 52 and 54 less exposed.

In order .to provide complete shielding protection for the cuttingelements 48 and 50, the pressure bar 24 is provided with a guardprojection 64 which extends laterally fr-om one longitudinal side 66 ofthe pressure bar adjacent to the pressure projection 46 so that theguard 64 may be aligned with the recesses 56 and 60 in the spring leaveswhen the pressure bar is in the closed position. The guard projection 64therefore is spaced from the longitudinal side 66 of the pressure barand extends perpendicular thereto in protective shielding relation tothe cutting elements as more clearly seen in FIGURE 4, when the pressurebar is in the closed position. In the closed position, the guardprojection 64 will extend through the recesses 56 and 60 and be flushwith the longitudinal sides 62 and 58 of the leaves as more clearly seenin FIGURE 2. Accordingly, the compact nature of the nail clipper 10 inits closed position will be preserved. In order to assure that thepressure bar is in the proper closed position and to avoid lateraldisplacement of the guard 64 from the sides 58 and 62, a limit stop 68is formed on the upper surface of the leaf 12 adjacent side ent.

58 for engagement by the pressure bar as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 5.

From the foregoing description, the construction, operation and utilityof the improved nail clipper will be apparmay be safely carried in thepurse or pocket of the user without any danger of injury to the user ordamage to fabric. The disposition of the cutting elements Will also:facilitate the cutting action as well as to accommodate the safetyguard feature. Also, the shielding protection provided by the guardfeature will avoid damage to surfaces that could occur in connectionwith nail clippers having exposed cutting edges.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invent-ion. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A nail clipper having a pair of elongated leaves secured togetheradjacent one end and resiliently separated at an opposite end,confronting knife edges projecting from said leaves on one lateral sidethereof adjacent said opposite end, a pressure bar movably mounted atsaid opposite end of the leaves for displacement between a closed and anactuating position, and a guard project-ion extending from said pressurebar laterally aligned with the con-fronting knife edges for protectiveshielding thereof when the pressure bar is in the closed position.

2. In combination with a nail clipper having a pair of elongated springleaves held in resiliently separated rela- It will therefore beappreciated, that the nail clippertion at an operative end fordisplacement toward each other, by a pressure bar when displaced from aninactive,

position to an actuating position, a pair of confronting knife edgesextending from said leaves on one lateral side adjacent said operativeend, said leaves being formed with recesses on said one lateral sidefrom which the knife edges extend toward each other, and guard meansconnected to said pressure bar for projection through said recesses whenthe pressure bar is in the inactive position to protectively shield theknife edges.

3. In a nail clipper having a pair of elongated spring leaves held inresiliently separated relation at an operative end by a stud whichpivotally mounts a pressure for rotatable between a closed position andan actuating position for slidably displacing one of the leaves towardthe other at said operative end; a pair of confronting knife edgesextending from said leaves on one lateral side adjacent said operativeend, said leaves being formed with aligned recesses on one lateral :sidefrom which the knife edges extend toward each other, guard meansconnected to said pressure bar for projection through said recesses whenthe pressure bar is in the closed position to protectively shield theknife edges, and limit means mounted on said one of the leaves forengagement by the pressure bar to limit movement thereof toward theclosed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,704,398 3/55Hunt 30 -28 X 2,753,626 7/56 Bowers 30-28 2,960,766 11/60 Whittle 30-283,031,754 5/62 Pocoski 3028 3,042,047 7/ 62 Plaskon 3028 X 3,088,2045/63 Levitt 3028 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

1. A NAIL CLIPPER HAVING A PAIR OF ELONGATED LEAVES SECURED TOGETHERADJACENT ONE END AND RESILIENTLY SEPARATED AT AN OPPOSITE END,CONFRONTING KNIFE EDGES PROJECTING FROM SAID LEAVES ON ONE LATERAL SIDETHEREOF ADJACENT SAID OPPOSITE END, A PRESSURE BAR MOVABLY MOUNTED ATSAID OPPOSITE END OF THE LEAVES FOR DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN A CLOSED AND ANACTUATING POSITION, AND A GUARD PROJECTION EXTENDING FROM SAID PRESSUREBAR LATERALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CONFRONTING KNIFE EDGES FOR PROTECTIVESHIELDING THEREOF WHEN THE PRESSURE BARS IS IN THE CLOSED POSITION.